Instrument for stringing and splitting bean pods



Aug. 25, 1925. 1,551,018

I C. H. EYRE INSTRUMENT FOR STRINGING AND SPLITTING BEAN RODS Filed Dec31, 1923 riuculeq Aug. 25,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HENRY EYR-E, 0F STRATHFIELD, NEAR SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES,AUSTRALIA.

INSTRUMENT FOR STRINGING AND SPLITTING BEAN PODS.

Application filed December 31, 1923. Serial No. 683,617.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHARLEs HENRY EYRE, subject of the King of GreatBritain, residin at Haroldine, the Boulevarde, Strathfield, near Sydney,county of Cumberland, State of New South Tales, Australia, have inventednew and useful Improved Instruments for Stringing and Splitting BeanPods, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an instrument for preparing and stringingbeans for cooking.

It consists in a frame having two flexible arms on its upper part fittedwith stringer knife blades. The frame is slotted below these blades andan upwardly disposed tongue between the arms is provided to control thedirection of movement of beans through the instrument. One or moresplit-- ting blades are detachably mounted in the slot in the frame. Ablade detachably held in the top portion of the frame serves for thecutting of the ends of the beans.

The instrument is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFig. 1 is a top plan view;

Fig. 2 is an underneath plan view;

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4.-4 Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section corresponding with Fig. 4:, indicatingthe opening of the stringer knife jaws during the operation of theinstrument; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6-6 Fig. 1.

The hand piece 10 carries at its forward end an open centre frame 11having a guide claw 12 riveted to it at 13 or formed integrally with it.This claw extends outwardly/ and upwardly and is curved. In the opencentre 14 in the frame 11 a gang of splitting knives 15 is detachablyfixed, the ends of these knives being set in carriers 16-17 which insetinto rebate recesses formed to receive them in the end portions of theframe 11.

The hand piece 10 is channelled in section, and a centre block 18 isfixed in it by means of a screw 19. This centre block 18 holds the rearends of two leaf springs 20. The forward ends of these springs areembraced in the bent clip portions 21 of a pair of flared jaws 22. Ineach of these jaws is secured a stringer knife 23 with chisel edge, theends of the knives 23 being held by pinching them in the bent over endportions of the jaws 22, which are constructed of sheet metal. The jawsare open in the centre and disposed as guides in relation to the knivesto gauge the thickness of the string pieces which are required to beplaned off the edges of the beans in the operation of the instrument. 25is a topping knife which is set in a recess 26 in the rear part of theknife frame and is retained therein by the leaf springs 20, the edges ofwhich bear up against it. Beans are strung by forcing them down betweenthe flared jaws 22, thereby causing those jaws to be sprung apart fromthe normal position shown in Fig. i to the extended position shown inFig. 5. The beans being forced downward and drawn past the knives, thestrings are removed by the stringer knives 23 and pass outward laterallythrough the clearance holes 27. The stringed beans passing downwardthrough the knife gang 15 are split as indicated in Fig. 5. Beforeinserting the beans for stringing and splitting they are topped bystriking them against the edge of the knife blade 25.

It is to be understood that wire springs may be substituted for the flatleaf springs 20 and that the butt ends of these springs of whatever formthey may be, may be fixed in the stock by means other than the screwedin clamping block 18.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. In an instrument for stringing beans and the like, a frame, astringer blade there on, a spring arm having one end secured to theframe wit-h its opposite end portion extending adjacent said blade, aco-operating stringer blade carried by said spring arm in spacedrelation to the first, and a guide member disposed between the bladesnear one end for positioning beans for the stringing operation.

2. A device of the class! described comprising a frame member having ahandle portion and an operating portion, the latter being depressed fromthe plane of the former, both of said portions being apertured, aplurality of splitting knives carried by the operating portion of theframe and bridging the aperture therein, and a pair of resilientlymounted stringing knives carried by ried by said spring armsrespectively in spaced relation with flaring jaw members for guidingbeans between the stringer knives and spreading the latter; and a stopor guide member fixed to the frame in the space between said knives atthe opposite end thereof.

4:. An instrument for stringing beans comprising an open frame With ahandle at one end thereof; a pair of spring arms set on edge on saidframe, and means for anchoring them at the handle end; opposed stringerknives secured to the free ends of said arms in spaced relation, atopping blade mounted With its cutting edge toward the space betweensaid stringer knives, and means on the handle holding said topping bladeagainst the edges of said spring arms substantially in the plane of thecutting edges of the stringer knives.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES HENRY EYRE.

